''Adenocaulon himalaicum'' is a perennial flowering plant in the family
Asteraceae
The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...
. It is native to China, Japan, India, Korea, and Nepal, and is an invasive species in Russia.
It grows in shady places, often by the side of the road.
Etymology
The genus name ''Adenocaulon'' is derived from the Greek words "αδένας" (gland) + "kaulós" (stem), and refers to the plant's glandular stem. The specific epithet refers to the plant being first described from the Himalayas. ''Adenocaulon himalaicum'' is known as nobuki (ノブキ) in Japanese.
Description
The stem is erect and typically 30-100 cm tall. Leaves are basal and cauline, but the ones growing at the base wither before flowering.
They are broad, dark green and irregularly toothed at the margin (sometimes entire).
Inflorescences
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...
consist of tiny, 5-petaled white flowers. It is a
monoecious
Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy.
Monoecy is conne ...
plant, so flowers in the center are male, while the ones surrounding them are female. Fruit are 6-7 mm long club-shaped
achene
An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...
s, that start off light green but turn dark as they ripen. They are covered with sticky glands that let them attach to animal fur and human clothes. ''Adenocaulon himalaicum'' flowers from June to late August, bears fruit in September-November.
Distribution and habitat
It is native to China, Japan, India, Korea, and Nepal, and is an invasive species in Russia.
It grows in forests, thickets, grassy slopes, and along stream sides.
Gallery
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10921416
Mutisieae
Flora of China
Flora of Korea
Flora of Japan
Flora of Nepal